Can Andrew Bynum Regain Form Against the Suns?

Bynum thinks he can, but Phil Jackson doesn’t sound entirely convinced. From the Daily News: “It’s certainly possible his role will be lessened as the Lakers play the undersized Suns in the conference finals. Having two 7-footers on the floor might be one too many to keep pace with the shorter, faster Suns. Injuries are a concern, too. Bynum, after all, suffered a strained left Achilles’ tendon and sat out the final 13 regular-season games and then had a small tear of his meniscus during the Lakers’ first-round playoff victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder last month. ‘I think Drew has played through some of the discomfort and the limiting aspects of his (knee) injury,’ Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ‘But I felt against Utah he couldn’t get to the point where he played with that explosion and that aggressiveness he had the first two games. We hope he gets it back again.’ The Lakers face another team without the size and muscle to match up inside. Jackson said the Lakers plan to play to their strengths and will try to use their size to their advantage against the Suns. If the Suns play with a smaller, faster lineup and if they torch the Lakers with a pick-and-roll offense, then Jackson indicated he wouldn’t hesitate to park Bynum on the bench in favor of a smaller, faster lineup. ‘We’ve limited his time in years past,’ he said. ‘I don’t think that’s a mystery.’ Bynum said he believes he can duplicate his standout performance in Game 2 against the Jazz, when he made 7 of 9 shots, set a career high for rebounds (14) in a playoff game and also blocked four shots during the Lakers’ victory. ‘I think so,” he said. “I just need to be a little more active, which is difficult with the knee, but I think I can get it done.”‘